Small-town life is oft cited as an American ideal, but it can be difficult to run a business where there aren”™t many people and difficult to raise tax revenue where there aren”™t many businesses. So the town of Gardiner in March undertook a process of exploring ways to improve the business prospects for the town of 5,300 and found that in this economic climate, it”™s best to stay with the basics.
Now, as fall arrives, the focus is on helping existing businesses, initially by creating stronger identity for the natural attractions and diverse businesses in this rural town in southern Ulster County. The hope is whatever unifying elements are created could be in place for next spring and the beginning of the tourist season.
“We set out in spring to help businesses be more successful in the town and ideally increase employment and decrease what residents are paying in property tax,” said town Councilman Warren Wiegand.
Initially a two prong approach was envisioned, seeking new business while strengthening existing business. But as committees met throughout the warm-weather months, the approach changed he said.
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“We found we really need to focus on assisting existing business and are single-mindedly focused on that goal,” said Wiegand. “That”™s the strategy, help existing business and then that will help attract new business.”
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The town in southern Ulster County lacks major highways, railroad access or ports and has sparse population density outside the hamlet. An industrial section does exist, tucked away on Steve”™s Lane, a back road off state Route 208.
The community also possesses stunning views of the Shawangunk Mountains that are within the western edge of the town. It specializes in extreme sports such as skydiving from an airfield just off the Main Street and rock climbing in the ”™Gunks.
Scattered throughout the town are diverse businesses, from a new bakery on its quaint Main Street, which is also state Routes 44-55, to apple and beef and vegetable farms, wineries, a propane distribution center and industrial cast-concrete manufacturing along Steve”™s Lane. There is also a population of home business entrepreneurs including architects, attorneys and artists.
At the business committee”™s Sept. 14 meeting, the eight members in attendance included three town board members and five business people ranging from farmers to antique store operators.
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Discussion centered on progress at highlighting town attractions, through signs, tourism maps and a link on the town web site.
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Wiegand introduced the notion of labeling the center of town where the Walkill Valley Rail Trail meets state Route 208 as Gardiner Junction. “It”™s sort of a fun thing and gives us opportunity to do other things down the road,” said Wiegand. “The role of this is to create a focal point for tourism.”
An information kiosk and sitting area is envisioned, with perhaps a simple map available and displayed, directing visitors to other attractions in the town.
He said that Ulster County public works officials have agreed in principle to providing signs for Gardiner to erect on county roads and said he would inquire what options they had for customizing the information or terms used on the sign. And the committee discussed options for a slogan and a logo that could be consistent and create a network of attractions linked by a common Gardiner theme.
Tim Dressel, third generation of a farm family operating Dressel Farm”™s and orchards on state Route 208 at the Gardiner New Paltz border suggested the town create a themed exhibit, but noted that on some holiday weekends in the fall, the farm does excellent business with you-pick-”˜em apples. “We actually don”™t need any more awareness, when it gets to the thick of it,” said Dressel, saying the visitors from the New York City area use the farm”™s web site to find the farm “We start turning cars away actually.”
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But during many week days and weekends of the year, having additional ties to the tourism trade would be welcome, he said. The rail trail runs essentially right through the Dressel Farm so bikers looking at a map mounted at the proposed Gardiner Junction could be alerted to the snack bar with cider and pies and other literally home grown fare.
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Dressel said the town could create a compendium of points of interest under a unifying theme, but exactly what that theme will be is uncertain. While Wiegand liked Gardiner Junction, other committee members reserved judgment. But all agreed with Dressel that a thematic linking of Gardiner attractions is worth exploring.
The town”™s cooperative spirit is embedded in a growing regional outlook, with growing appreciation for fostering tourism. The state recently made the final formal approval of the Shawangunk Scenic Byway, a scenic 82 mile loop through Orange and Ulster counties encompassing 11 towns and mapping a rural road network around the Shawangunk Mountains, parts of which are in Gardiner. The state will pay for signs and some road improvements to highlight the route.
The Scenic Byway will have something of an epicenter at Gardiner”™s hamlet, on its eastern edge about midway between its terminuses Walden to the south and Rosendale to the north, and with spectacular views of the Shawangunk ridge that gives it its name.
